If Sachin had retired at least 2-3 years ago then many people may have argued with Ponting's statement. But now playing more and more he is only damaging his reputation. Lara did the right thing retiring early. Now whenever people make comparison between two, they only consider Lara's high time and Sachin's low time now.

Personally, i have always loved watching Lara and Sachin's batting when they were at their peak. Both of them were such a treat to watch. Lara was exciting and aggressive whereas Sachin is calm and calculative.